Gill Busts Out, Garnet Sweep Philly Bible
SWARTHMORE, Pa. -- Freshman right fielder Jimmy Gill was 5-for-6 with four runs scored and three RBI while Swarthmore got strong performances from several hurlers on their way to a doubleheader sweep of visiting Philadelphia Biblical University on Clothier Fields Saturday afternoon. The Garnet (2-6 overall) won game one, 4-2, and then out-lasted the Crimson Eagles 9-8 in nine innings for the sweep.
The wins marked the first victories at Swarthmore for first-year head coach Stan Exeter--he was 181-166 in ten previous years at Arcadia.
The Garnet opened the scoring in the bottom of the first. Aggressive base-running by senior captain Sammy Faeder forced the Crimson Eagles to make a tough play at the plate on junior Travis Allen's grounder, and when the PBU catcher dropped the ball, Swarthmore had a 1-0 lead. Gill followed with a deep fly to center, scoring shortstop Thomas Nakamura '10.
Allen had to leave the game mid-inning after opening up a cut on his face in a collision with a PBU player after diving back to second base on a pickoff attempt. Junior Ben Mendelson came in as a pinch-runner and finished out the game at designated hitter.
Swarthmore got a gutsy performance from sophomore hurler Sean Varsolona (six innings, four strikeouts) and played error-free baseball in the field.
PBU got on the board in the top of the third. Second baseman Matt Roth doubled, advanced to third on a groundout, and scored on a Thomas Fenwick sacrifice fly. The visitors threatened again in the fourth, putting men on second on third with one out, but Varsolona struck out Aaron Arsenault and got Aaron Richbart to pop out to Nakamura.
Garnet third baseman Conor Casey '09 made a fine defensive play in the top of the fifth, diving to his left to snare the ball and sprung to his feet in time to throw out Fenwick at first. The Swarthmore offense struck again in the bottom of the frame, with center fielder Scott Dalane '08 and Casey had RBI singles, scoring Mendelson and Gill.
Varsolona worked his way out of a jam in the top of the 6th. The first three Crimson Eagles reached base and Lance Sheptock skied a sacrifice fly to center, but Varsolona came back to strike out Arseneau. Richbart walked to reload the bases and Roth ran the count to 3-1, but Varsolona bore down and got the PBU second sacker swinging.
Sophomore reliever Dylan Smith came on in the top of the seventh and got three straight groundouts, slamming the door on the Crimson Eagles and earning his first career save.
Gill had a perfect day at the plate in game one, hitting the ball hard all three times up and earning two singles and a sacrifice fly. Nakamura went 2-for-4 with a run scored. It is the first career multi-hit game for both freshmen.
Varsolona showed his trademark tenacity on the hill all afternoon long and came up with his best performance on the young season, going six innings and allowed two runs on six hits. He walked three and struck out four to improve to 1-1 on the year.
Fenwick went the distance for the Crimson Eagles, allowing three earned runs on 10 hits.
The Garnet jumped out to another early lead in game two, with the freshmen once again leading the way. With one out in the first frame, Nakamura walked and then, with two away, Gill brought him around with a double to deep left.
Swarthmore starter Noah Cooper-Harris '07 cruised through the first but struggled with his control in the second, walking four of five hitters before being lifted in favor of junior Justin Chen with no outs, two runs in and the bases loaded. Chen recovered from a 3-0 count to get Luke Svendson to line into a double play, but Fenwick came through with an RBI single to increase the PBU lead to 3-1. The lead stretched to 5-1 before Chen caught Joel Drager looking to end the inning.
PBU starter Jon Shepherd hit Mendelson with a pitch to start the bottom of the second, injured his groin in the process, and swapped positions with first baseman Sheptock. After a wild pitch sent Mendelson to second, Garnet second baseman Wiley Archibald '10 crushed a ball deep to right field. Arseneau ranged to the foul line to make the catch, but Mendelson alertly tagged up, sped around third, and scored standing up.
Freshman pitcher Zach Sinemus entered on the mound for the Garnet at the start of the third and showed great command of his fastball, striking out the first two Crimson Eagles he faced looking and getting the third on a grounder to short.
Swarthmore added another run in the third when Mendelson's sacrifice fly plated Gill and finally busted loose with four in the fourth. Archibald led off with a walk, and one batter later, Nakamura followed with a base hit. Allen grounded a single up the middle, scoring Archibald, and Gill lofted the ball over Richbart's head in left for an RBI double. Dalane brought Allen home with a sacrifice fly despite a strong throw from Svendson in center field--the ball ricocheted off of the catcher's mask. Gill scored on a passed ball before PBU finally recorded the third out and after four innings the score read 7-5, Swarthmore.
Sinemus continued to locate the ball well throughout his three-inning stint, retiring nine of the 10 batters he faced. Smith came in for the top of the sixth and caught two Crimson Eagles looking in a 1-2-3 inning.
PBU scored three times in the top of the seventh on three singles and two Swarthmore errors, taking an 8-7 lead heading into Swarthmore's final at-bat.
Gill led things off with a slow roller up the middle. The freshman beat the throw for an infield hit and advanced to second when PBU second baseman Nathan King's rushed throw got past Sheptock. Dalane moved the runner to third with a sacrifice bunt and Casey brought him around with a clean single to right-center. Mendelson followed with a base hit but the Crimson Eagles middle infield came up big with an inning-ending double play.
Dalane came in to pitch to start the eighth and sat down all six batters he faced. Swarthmore rallied with two outs in the top of the eighth but did not score, and it looked like the game would head to a 10th frame after the first two Swarthmore batters went down in the ninth. But another two-out rally developed, and this time the home team finished the job. Mendelson reached on an error on a softly hit fly ball to left. Waterfire followed with a single back through the box, and Archibald lined the ball into right field. Mendelson easily beat the throw home, and the Garnet mobbed him at home plate to celebrate their doubleheader sweep.
Swarthmore (2-6) will look to keep the good times rolling tomorrow afternoon when they host Scranton in a twinbill—first pitch is 12:30 p.m.